


Don’t get all gooey on me

by lloydsglasses



Series: Series 10 Fics and Drabbles [4]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Cross-Generational Friendship, Episode: s10e05 Oxygen, Ficlet, Friendship, Gen, Male-Female Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-19
Updated: 2017-05-19
Packaged: 2018-11-02 15:38:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10947516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lloydsglasses/pseuds/lloydsglasses
Summary: Once the danger's passed, Bill and the Doctor share a quiet moment.





	Don’t get all gooey on me

Bill’s privately very grateful when they don’t leave immediately; the Doctor insists they remain behind in the Core to get a message to the incoming ship, and Bill’s glad that this gives her an excuse to rest a little. Her legs are probably too shaky to really carry her anywhere at the moment anyway, which she supposes is what near death experiences tend to do to you. The Doctor has found himself a seat while Abby and Ivan start transmitting so Bill does the same, flopping gracelessly down into the chair on his right. He shifts slightly as she settles next to him.

“It’s me,” she says, after a moment. “Just so you know.”

“Ah, yes,” responds the Doctor, lips quirking. “I already knew that.”

Bill looks over at him, curious. “Yeah? How?”

He leans towards her as if he’s about to impart some great secret, smile widening into a sharp grin. “Magical alien powers.”

It takes a moment to realise he’s teasing her. She laughs then, giving him a light smack on the arm when his grin becomes smug. “I knew you were holding out on me.”

They drift into a comfortable silence after that, and Bill finds herself unintentionally studying him. He seems calm – way calmer than Bill thinks she might be if she’d just lost her eyesight, no matter how temporary it was. After a minute or so she looks away because she knows it’s rude to stare, especially when someone doesn’t know you’re staring at them. She looks down at her own spacesuit instead, examining the patterns which criss-cross over her grey chest-pack.

That’s when a thought occurs to her. A memory, more like; one which she hadn’t had time to dwell on until now.

“Is that why you offered me your suit when mine got stuck?” she asks. “Because you have magical alien powers that would keep you alive?”

“No, Bill,” The Doctor says softly. “That was because I’m responsible for keeping you safe.”

Bill processes that for a moment before hesitantly asking, “So what would’ve happened to you?”

He doesn’t answer. 

“Done,” Abby calls suddenly, her voice breaking through the strained silence. “Message transmitted and received.”

“Phew,” exclaims Nardole from where he’s been hovering in the doorway, clearly torn between his desire to leave and his loyalty to the Doctor. “Back to the TARDIS, then?”

The Doctor makes a sound of agreement and gets to his feet. Bill watches Nardole dither for a moment, evidently unsure whether the Doctor is more likely to accept help or snap at him for implying it’s needed. Just as he seems to have made his mind up to try and help anyway – if the step he takes away from the door is anything to go by – the Doctor tilts his head towards Bill.

“Bill? Will you help me back to the TARDIS?”

Bill blinks at him in surprise, before belatedly realising she’s supposed to respond. “Right! Yeah, of course!”

Shooting Nardole a reassuring smile, she links her left arm through the Doctor’s right and walks slowly with him to the door.

“I’m glad you asked for help,” she says quietly, once they’re through the door and following the rest of the group down a long corridor. “I know you’re like, really clever, but you shouldn’t have to do everything on your own.”

“Mmm,” is his equally quiet response. He leans against her minutely. “Just stay close.”

Bill frowns this time. The Doctor asking for help is surprising enough, but this? He sounds _worried_. The only times she’s heard him sound like that are the times when she’s been–

 _Oh,_ thinks Bill. _Not asking for help, then._

“Doctor,” she says, letting them lag slightly behind the others to grant them a little privacy. “It’s okay. I’m safe.”

The Doctor sucks in a long breath. “Yes. Yes, you are. And I’m going to do everything in my power to keep you that way.”

“Yeah,” Bill says, gazing at his clouded eyes and understanding just how much he means that. Her own eyes well up with gratitude. She squeezes his arm, hoping he can feel it through their bulky suits.

“Yeah,” she repeats, gently guiding him around a few boxes so he doesn’t smash his knees on them. “Same goes for you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Because that bit where Bill's suit is malfunctioning and the Doctor immediately says 'give her mine' I just aghhh <33333
> 
> Sorry updates have been so sparse recently - I had a big deadline that was due the other day so I haven't really had time to write. I'm hoping to get back to weekly, post-episode updates from now on though. :)


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